Movie Reviews: Vincent Price Collection Vol. 3

Having thoroughly enjoyed Volume 1, and saddened to see that Volume 2 is not available, I have moved on to Volume 3 of The Vincent Price Collection. The films in this set are much less famous than on the other volumes but still enjoyable. Who doesn't love Vincent Price? He makes a good villain. He makes a tortured hero. He makes a good time for everyone!

Master of the World (1961) directed by William Witney

Post-American-Civil-War society (in the North at least) is full of a spirit of adventure. A balloonist club is dominated by a design debate between club president Prudent (Henry Hull) and Philip Evans (David Frankham), the man in love with Prudent's daughter Dorothy (Mary Webster). As the meeting wraps up, John Strock (Charles Bronson), a representative of the U. S. Government, wants to hire their experimental balloon to investigate a dormant volcano in Pennsylvania that has had a lot of noise and lights coming from it. The four go to explore the mountain only to be shot down by rockets. Landing inside, they are quickly whisked onto the Albatross, a highly advanced flying machine that is the home of the eccentric Robur (Vincent Price). Robur has built the Albatross to end the scourge of war on the Earth. He will threaten and/or destroy every military he comes near, causing peace through a reign of terror. The foursome do not agree with this plan, so Robur keeps them imprisoned on the ship. They plot to escape, though Strock is more interested in stopping Robur than in getting away. If that was not enough of a complication, Strock and Evans start vying for Dorothy's affection. 

This story is based on two Jules Verne novels, Robur the Conqueror and Master of the World, so it has a lot of science and science-adjacent elements. Robur is the sort of calm, calculating villain with disdain for the larger world that Verne uses a lot (think Captain Nemo) and Price gives a fine performance in the role. The crew are fanatical idealists like Robur, though the French cook is strictly comic relief. The situation is interesting and well set-up, with plenty of complications to cause conflict between the characters. Dorothy is no damsel in distress and criticizes both Strock and Evans for their flaws, even as she takes care of them. The special effects are dated and less impressive than they could be, but they get the job done. The movie is more about working out the relationships and solving the problem of Robur's maniacal plan. This is just the sort of B-movie Price is often associated with. It has interesting ideas, doesn't have a top-tier budget and shows it, and will throw in stuff (like the comic cook) to cover all the bases whether they need covering or not.

I saw on wikipedia that this movie was an inspiration to Gene Roddenberry, who had his own tales of an international crew traveling on a ship and righting wrongs across their world.

Mildly recommended.

Tower of London (1962) directed by Roger Corman

Corman reunites with Vincent Price for a historical picture that's more of a Gothic horror than a factual retelling. This film presents a haunted Richard III (Vincent Price), literally haunted by the ghosts of everyone he murders on his way to the English throne in the 1480s. He sees them on the battlements and in his rooms. They even trick him into murdering his own wife Anne (Joan Camden)! Even such a heinous act does not deter Richard's ambitions. The plot follows the path laid out by Shakespeare, though the tone and action is more reminiscent of Macbeth. 

The film doesn't stint on the horror, with Richard using some elaborate physical tortures on victims while he deals with the mental torments of his plagued mind (mostly ghosts taunting him, or is it his conscience?). Price is very good in the role, giving his performance just enough to keep the character intriguing while also being repulsive. Surprisingly, the movie is in black and white, so not completely like the Poe pictures from Corman and Price. The novel take on the historic plot works to their strengths and makes an entertaining film even if it is not historically (or even Shakespeareanly) accurate.

Mildly recommended--a surprising mashup of Shakespeare, Poe, and Corman that is entertaining in a Saturday Afternoon way.

Diary of a Madman (1963) directed by Reginald Le Borg

Magistrate Simon Cordier (Vincent Price) is an upright judge in 19th century France. He's called to the cell of a murderer who claims he did not commit the killings. The murderer says he had no free will and was under the control of another when he attacked his victims. In the cell, he attacks Cordier who accidentally kills him in self defense. Back home, Cordier hears a voice that calls itself a Horla and tells Cordier that he is a killer. Cordier denies it, but the voice insists on Cordier committing more crimes. Cordier goes to an alienist who advises Cordier to take a break from work and pursue some creative work. In his youth, Codier was a sculptor. After visiting an art gallery and running into a young model named Odette (Nancy Kovack), he hires her to pose for him. Odette is all too ready, though her husband Paul (Chris Warfield) objects. Odette is interested in Cordier and is also something of a gold digger. She gets involved with Cordier, leading to more killings inspired by the Horla. Or is Cordier just crazy?

The movie opens with the burial of Cordier. Many of the involved characters come to a reading of his diary, which chronicles what happened to him. It's a nice narrative device, setting up a lot of suspense that gets paid off well. The story is based on Guy de Maupassant and translates the words to film quite well. Price does a good job flipping between the good magistrate and the mind-controlled killer. Some of the special effects don't hold up sixty years later but a lot of the chilling moments do (which is what you watch this for, right?). 

Recommended.

An Evening of Edgar Allen Poe (1970) co-written and directed by Kenneth Johnson

This hour-long television special features solo performances of Edgar Allen Poe tales by Vincent Price. The show has The Tell-Tale Heart, The Sphinx, The Cask of Amontillado, and The Pit and the Pendulum. All the tales feature first-person narration, so they are a natural fit. Even though Price is alone, his performance is captivating. The characters are all different as are the stories. The visuals are okay, though I imagine you could just listen to the audio and get ninety percent of the performance. The visuals aren't bad but they do require a little indulgence (it was filmed on video and some of the editing looks like TV editing from back then).

Recommended for Poe/Price fans. This isn't as good as the Corman-Poe cycle films, but is worth just hearing Price deliver the goods.

Cry of the Banshee (1970) directed by Gordon Hessler

Magistrate Whitman (Vincent Price) ruthlessly persecutes locals, especially those accused of witchcraft, in his rural 1500s English town. If he wasn't bad enough, he has several sons who are happy to terrorize the locals, especially women. Whitman leads an attack on a coven of witches led by Oona (Elisabeth Bergner). Inexplicably he leaves Oona alive after killing about half her followers. They enact a curse of Whitman and his family, begging Satan for an avenger. Meanwhile, son Harry (Carl Rigg) comes from Cambridge where he has been studying. Harry is joined by a new priest who tries to put some barriers on Whitman's behavior but is ineffectual. Whitman's daughter Maureen (Hilary Dwyer) is having an affair with a stable hand (Patrick Mower), who was an orphan found by their mother many years ago. He has a strange amulet and a way of calming brute animals and Whitman's distraught wife. He becomes the target of Oona's request for an avenger, leading to several bloody attacks on the Whitman family.

Price gives his usual performance in the role of a wicked witch hunter, a character he's played before. The story is not that good, with a bunch of unbelievable decisions throughout. Worse, the violence on women is unrelenting and unpleasant. Even though it is depicted in a negative light, there's still far too much of it and it is far too explicit. This was easily the worst of this set.

Not recommended.

Book Review: The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey

The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey

Alan Grant is a Scotland Yard Inspector who is hospitalized with a broken leg. Various friends and acquaintances come to see him but he is rather bored--until one friend brings some portraits including one of Richard III, famous for his infamy. Grant doesn't immediately recognize Richard's contemporary portrait. Grant thinks that this person is more likely to be a judge than to be a criminal. His curiosity gets the better of him and he begins a historical investigation of the case for Richard killing his nephews in the Tower and his other alleged atrocities. He is aided by a young American researcher who gathers plenty of evidence from the past to clear up the mystery of the boys and why Richard has been vilified in history and popular culture.

Having recently read a more in-depth telling of George Washington's and Benedict Arnold's experiences during the American Revolution, this book is not so surprising to me in its anti-populist attitude toward received ideas about historical events. Grant's investigation leads him to see Richard as a fine administrator, a strong soldier, and a compassionate governor. If anything, he was too compassionate and forgiving of his enemies, who made him and his family into villains after his death. Grant and his helper uncover the many inconsistencies and deceptions that have gained traction in popular understanding. Closer scrutiny shows an entirely different picture. The truth is out there and needs a little digging (sometimes a lot of digging) to uncover.

This book is a work of fiction. But, having recently read an even-handed account of Richard's life, I can attest to the many details described in this book, such as St. Thomas More's propagandistic biography of Richard or the fact that if Richard really wanted to secure his throne he would have had to kill a lot of other family members who were in line after the nephews. And there's no way he was a hunchback with a withered arm AND fought many battles valiantly and victoriously. So this book is not a whitewashing of Richard.

The investigation format of the narrative makes the history much more interesting than a dry historical analysis would be. The writing is sharp and witty in the best style of the 1940s and 1950s British detective novels. The book is both fun and informative and well worth reading. Highly recommended!

The book is also the topic of discussion on Episode 156 of A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast. Check it out!

TV Review: The Hollow Crown: Richard III (2016)

The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses: Richard III (2016) directed by Dominic Cooke based on Shakespeare's plays

For the previous Hollow Crown series, see my reviews of Richard II, Henry IV Part 1 and Part 2, and Henry V. For the previous episodes in the Wars of the Roses series, see Henry VI Part 1 and Part 2.

Richard III (Benedict Cumberbatch) rises to and falls from power in this adaptation of Shakespeare's popular play. Richard is a man of cunning and ambition with no apparent sense of goodness in him at all. He manipulates his family members and the nobility with horrifying ease and effectiveness, always redirected responsibility and guilt on others. He acknowledges his guilt to viewers (he makes many asides to the camera to clarify what he's really up to) and has no remorse. In spite of killing two brothers, two nephews, a wife, and a host of other nobles and relatives, he gets his comeuppance at the end.

The production is very elaborate. Scenes are filmed in historic locations and battles occur in towns and fields, giving the movie a very cinematic feel. Richard starts the movie with an aside to the camera (the "Now is the winter of our discontent..." speech) so his talking to the camera seems natural, though the previous episodes haven't had anyone speak directly to the camera since the Chorus actually appears at the end of Henry V. Since the story is an intimate portrayal of Richard, the asides work well.

On the other hand, just because it's intimate doesn't mean it's accurate. Critics of the play like to rail against it as Tudor propaganda (Henry VII beats Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth and winds up with the crown) and character assassination. Setting those (legitimate) concerns aside, this story gives a compelling picture of the most Machiavellian man ever. Dramatically it is very exciting and Cumberbatch gives a great performance, sliding around from fake meekness and icy calculation to moral outrage and anger with amazing ease. It's a great performance of Shakespeare's take on Richard III.

This is well worth watching and a fine end to the series.

Book Review: Richard III by David Baldwin

Richard III by David Baldwin

King Richard III (1452-1485) is one of the most controversial kings of England. He was the last of the Plantagenet line and was replaced by Henry Tudor, who became King Henry VII. Richard came to the throne through a mixture of circumstances and deliberate acts. His decision to take the crown may not have been the act of unbridled ambition it is often portrayed as. He lived a hard and unstable life, seeing many relatives die and many reversals of fortune as the Lancastrian Plantagenets fought with the Yorkist Plantagenets over the throne(i.e. the War of the Roses). His nephews (who were legitimate candidates for the throne) were taken into the Tower of London (which was both the royal castle and a prison), never to be heard from again. People assume he killed them or had them killed though there is no direct evidence. His efficiency at governing was at times ruthless and at other times completely just. He put in motion many reforms and established a courier system that eventually developed into the Royal Mail. His life is a lot more complicated than either Shakespeare or Thomas More make it out (though their writings have colored popular opinion).

David Baldwin's biography of Richard makes the effort to be objective, looking at the historical records and evidence. Baldwin does not want to paint Richard as a villain or as a saint, but to see him for he was. The story is complicated not only by the lack of records and the Tudor propaganda but also by the many overlapping names (the book starts with a list of 23 people who have similar names, including three Georges, three Margarets, and four other Richards besides Richard III!). These various challenges are well met in this book, which is readable and convincing. An extra chapter was added where Baldwin describes the discovery of Richard's remains in the Leicester car park.

The even-handed approach and clear writing make this an excellent look at the life of Richard III. I see the author has also written Robin Hood: The English Outlaw Unmasked. Based on the excellence of this biography, I am going to hunt down his Robin Hood book.

Richard III Experience, York

Several months ago, I wrote a post on York's Richard III Museum in Monk Bar, one of the medieval gates of the city. By the time I published the post, the museum had been closed and turned over to the Jorvik Group, an organization that operates several historical museums in York. They have reopened the Monk Bar exhibit and renamed it the Richard III Experience.

View of Monk Bar from outside the city walls

View from inside the city walls

The previous museum had a lot of historical information but also a ton of more tongue-in-cheek displays (see the link above to see the previous museum). The new museum is stripped of a lot of the color and is more focused on the history of the last Plantagenet king in England.

Displays include representations of the battles of Wakefield (fought in 1460 and where Richard's father and also his brother were killed by Lancastrian forces) and Towton (fought in 1461 and where the Lancastrians were defeated and Richard's brother Edward became king of England). Those battles are key parts of the War of the Roses for Richard.

Battle of Wakefield

Battle of Towton

More miniatures of various soldiers

A small mock encampment shows Richard's colors. Inside the tent is a video with historical information presented for children from the creators of Horrible Histories (so the cheek isn't fully gone from the museum).

Tent and bulls-eye of the king

Other child-friendly bits include a role-and-move board game of the War of the Roses.

Less bloody than the actual history

Replicas of Richard's chain and jewel from the famous National Gallery portrait are on display, as is a crown intended to decorate the ultimate burial site of the recently discovered skeleton of Richard.

Crown and jewels

A suit of armor and several helmets in period style are on display as well.

Armor

Various helmets

Some parts of the bar are much easier to see now. The mechanism to raise and lower the portcullis is easily visible and the fireplace isn't crowded with equipment.

Portcullis mechanism

Casual fireplace

The museum is worth a visit, especially as a comparison to its companion at Mickelgate Bar, the Henry VII Experience (Henry being the Tudor king who took over after Richard died at the Battle of Bosworth). That museum will be the next post!

Random Bits of Leicester, England

Here's some more of Leicester!

The car park where King Richard III's bones were found is undergoing massive renovations (as is quite a bit of the surrounding area). We visited in March 2014 and the place will probably be a lot more impressive in a year or two (perhaps right now if you are reading long after I write it).

Richard III's burial ground

We wandered around to see other sites. In the pedestrianized downtown area is the clock tower, providing vital information and a fun spot to rendezvous if people get separated.

Clock tower

Over near the castle grounds is St. Mary de Castro, the church where Geoffrey Chaucer got married in 1336. It looked like it wasn't open so we just took a picture from afar.

Trees and scaffolding do not a good picture make

Near the church is the Magazine Gateway, so called because it was the main gunpowder and weapon depot for the town during the English Civil War. Prior to the war, it was known as the Newarke Gate, an entrance into the city from the neighborhood of Newarke. The sign says that Richard III's body was probably carried through this gate after his death on Bosworth Field.

Magazine Gateway

We had lunch in town at a local pub which was rather unremarkable, except for L's enormous hot dog.

L was very gleeful

Plenty of shops line the streets of Leicester, but two in particular caught my eye. The Very Bazaar is just a cool name for a store; Shakespeares Head sounds a bit threatening, as if local Richard III supporters want some payback for centuries of Tudor propaganda passing itself off as great art.

The Very Bazaar

Shakespeares Head--maybe it's just a public toilet he used?

Leicester Cathedral, England

St. Martin's, the medieval church in the center of Leicester, only became a cathedral in 1927. In AD 680, the Saxons established the first bishop in Leicester. Two hundred years later, his successor fled from the invading Danes. Subsequently, the people of Leicester were shepherded by the bishop of Lincoln (from 1072) and later Peterborough (from 1837). The first St. Martin's was built by the Normans in the 11th century. It was rebuilt in the 13th and 15th centuries, becoming the "civic church" since the Guildhall is across the street. The Victorians also added to and redesigned some of the church. When the diocese of Leicester was re-established, it was chosen as the bishop's church.

The exterior of the church is surrounded by yet more renovations, mostly due to the discovery of King Richard III's remains in a car park across across the street.

Leicester Cathedral (with construction)

Where Richard III's body was found

Detail of the side entrance

We entered through the west entrance and came upon the 1849 baptismal font.

Nave from the baptismal font

The font

To the right is St. George's Chapel, dedicated to the patron of England with memorials of the Royal Leicester Regiment. The tiger emblem from their seal has been adopted by the local rugby team, the Leicester Tigers.

St. George's Chapel with regimental colours

Mosaic of the regiment

Further up the south aisle of the church is the Archdeacon's Court, which has activities for children, including a replica of the church created by a Sunday school class.

Recreation of the church and other crafts

Memorial to John Johnson (not someone so historically significant, but I liked the carving)

Around the corner is St. Dunstan's chapel, notable for the Greek icon of Mary and Jesus Pointing the Way and the Russian icon of the Hospitality of Abraham.

Mary and Jesus

Hospitality of Abraham

In the north aisle is St. Katharine's Chapel with memorials to the Herrick family. The family's home stood where the Greyfriars friary was located. It's now some town offices and the car park where Richard was found.

One memorial to the family

The chapel

Banner for the Mothers' Union

At the center of the church is the main altar with the high altar behind it. This area also has a memorial stone to Richard.

Main altar

High altar at the back

Memorial to Richard III

Also by the high altar is the cathedra, the bishop's seat from which the cathedral gets its name.

Bishop's chair

Also notable in the church are the ceiling decorations and trim, which add a nice bit of color.

Over the main altar

Well trimmed

I talked to one of the docents in the cathedral and she said they are getting an area ready for the tomb of Richard, though as of my writing (March 2014), the decision has not yet been made whether he would be entombed here or at York Minster (where he is from).

Guildhall, Leicester, England

Our interest in Richard III took us on a trip to Leicester, where his remains were found in 2012. One of our stops was the medieval Guildhall in the middle of town, one of the best preserved medieval halls in England.

The Guildhall in Leicester has a long history. It was built in 1380 for the Guild of Corpus Christi (some local buisnessmen) who let the Corporation of Leicester (the local civil government) use the premises. The Great Hall was the meeting place for the civil authorities. It was also used for entertainments and other social gatherings.

Guildhall, Leicester (with the cathedral in the background)

Between the cathedral and the Guildhall

The Great Hall

Over the entrance of the hall

In 1548 the guild disbanded and the Corporation bought the building. The building became the civic center of Leicester. The West Wing was refurbished as the Mayor's Parlour and the East Wing housed the Town Library (third oldest public library in England!).

Mayor's Parlour

Mayor's Seat

The fireplace

The library

If you only have one book, make it the Good Book

Right by the library is the Recorder's Bedroom, though no sign explained why the recorder had to sleep there.

Mysterious and cosy

The building also has some jail cells which were closed but we were able to peep through a window in the door to the mannequins made up as prisoners. The set up was a little tricky--visitors had to hold the window open and push a button to turn the light on inside. Add in holding up your underage child and it was extra-tricky!

Cell door

The buildings surround a small courtyard which had an interesting clock and a ping pong table, which we tried with little success. The kids just aren't big enough yet.

Courtyard by the Mayor's Parlour

Courtyard by the Library and Cells (that's the cathedral peaking over)

The clock

The kids goofing around

The entrance to the museum has an exhibit on King Richard III, whose remains were found in the car park nearby. A lot of construction was going on when we visited (March 2014) in anticipation of the the burial of Richard's remains in the cathedral. J took the picture of the picture of the skeleton!

Entrance

J's favorite part (taking the picture, not what he took the picture of)

Detailed info about Richard

Part of the construction is to build a permanent Richard III museum in Leicester, so the exhibits will eventually move out of the Guildhall and into the new museum.

At least five ghosts are supposed to haunt the hall, but since we came during the day we didn't see any. If the stories are right, the building is the most haunted in Leicester. With the jail there it is easy to see why they sprang up.

Tomorrow we're off to the cathedral!